Many forms of massage require a special type of table. The table must be capable of supporting a person's entire body weight in a horizontal position. The table should be padded on the upper surface, and it should be adjustable to a height which is appropriate for the masseuse or therapist. For many applications, these objectives must be met in a lightweight collapsible table design because it is often desirable to carry the table to different massage locations. It is also helpful to be able to collapse a massage table for compact storage.
Collapsible massage tables have been designed over the years to satisfy these objectives. U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,170 to Spehar discloses a collapsible massage table which employs a diagonal brace for each table leg and a pair of cables connecting the pivot points of the legs to the articulation points of the braces for the purpose of automatically extending the legs when the table is open, and locking the legs in their upright position while the table is being used. However, the Spehar table fails to provide direct support under the central hinge region of the table. Another problem with Spehar's table is that it requires a relatively low potentially interfering horizontal cable line on each side of the table between the brace joints. This cable line may interfere with certain types of massage techniques or therapies where it is necessary to position the therapist's legs partially under the table. Other collapsible table designs such as the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,998 to Everett et al., utilize an inverted truss in cooperation with a taut cable to provide support in the central region of the table when the table is erect. However, Everett et al.'s inverted truss arrangement does not provide sufficient support and leg stabilization for some massage applications. Accordingly, there is a need for a lightweight collapsible massage table which has an integrated support structure for automatically opening and maintaining table legs in an upright position while the table is in use as well as providing sturdy upward support in the center region of the table.